San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District
Home MenuHoliday Safety
Candles
- More than half of the home decoration fires in December are started by candles.
- The top 3 days for home candle fires are Christmas Day, New Year's Day and New Year's Eve.
- Keep candles away from anything that burns.
- Use flameless candles near flammable materials.
- Before leaving the room extinguish the candle and never leave children alone in a room with a lit candle.
Christmas Trees
- Do not place trees in areas that block hallways, exit ways, or doors.
- A heat source too close to the Christmas Tree causes 1 in every 4 winter fires.
- Do not have any open flames (candles, lanterns, and heaters) near the tree or any other flammable material.
- Make sure heating ducts are off or pointed away from the tree to avoid drying out the tree.
- Check the tree's water level daily, make sure there is enough water to submerge the fresh cut section of the trunk.
- Remove the tree from your home when the tree becomes dry.
- For more Christmas Tree Safety Tips download this flyer.
Lights
- Before hanging your lights look for frayed wires, damaged bulb sockets, and worn insulation.
- When working on a ladder keep yourself centered and do not overreach.
- Don't overload the outlet by plugging in too many lights. Only connect up to the maximum set of lights found on the box.
- Use outdoor rated extension cords outside and plug them into a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupting) outlet.